Eugene Orville Lehnhoff was born on July 3, 1927, in Cottonwood County to Frank and Blanch (Peck) Lehnhoff. He attended school in Dundee and Fulda. On April 21, 1947, he married Rosa Bonita Murphy at St. Gabriels Catholic Church in Fulda. After their marriage, they farmed near Fulda until 1958, when they moved to a farm West of Balaton. In 1977, they moved to a farm South of Russell and retired on the farm in 1995. The common thread throughout Jack’s life was his deep love of family and his enjoyment of the simple pleasures of nature and being outdoors. During his farming years, he and Rosie worked very hard to make ends meet and provide the necessities for their family. Jack loved being a farmer and liked to reminisce about the many changes he saw during his lifetime.
After retirement, Jack put his farming skills to use on his vegetable garden and growing many varieties of flowers. He was well known for sharing his abundant produce with family, friends and neighbors. One of his specialties was his asparagus patch.
After moving to Marshall, he continued to enjoy the outdoors by spending time at the pond. In addition to gardening, jack loved to fish and hunt. He enjoyed deer hunting in the fall and coyote hunting during the winter months. Many memories were created for grandchildren and great-grandchildren during the annual family fishing day at the pond, including 4 wheeler rides for the kids.
Jack developed a strong bond with his “condo buddies†after Rosie passed away. They especially enjoyed attending local fish fries during Lent. Jack would strike up a conversation with anyone and before long, would be giving gardening advice and telling stories. He was proud to live independently until the time of his death.
Jack died on Saturday, February 11, 2017, at the Avera Morningside Heights Care Center in Marshall. He is survived by his children Anita (and Aaron) Rothgarber of Bethlehem, GA, David (and Ruth) Lehnhoff of Balaton, Susan (and Gary) Almhjeld of Brookings, SD, Laureen (and Randy) Thooft of Balaton; grandchildren Tonia (and Jeff) Swan, Traci Lehnhoff, Holly Almhjeld, Amanda Thooft and Casey Almhjeld; granddaughter-in-law Jill Lehnhoff; great-grandchildren Bailey Swan, Anthony Bauer, Marisa, Olivia, Kamry and Charlee Lehnhoff, Kendall Scholz and Adrian Almhjeld, sister Bernice Schuster of Worthington and brother Bruce of Perryton, TX, nieces, nephews, relatives and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents, wife Rosa, grandsons John Mark Lehnhoff, Rustin Thooft and Kyle Lehnhoff, siblings Vern, Marvin, Allen, Luella Brady and Lucille Hakeneis.
